i just picked up an '85 e350 conversion van with a 6.9 turbo/quigleys 4x4 conversion and a gear vendor. I've been searching for a few months now for a gasser conversion van and after seeing this one i couldn't pass it up. originally, i planned on gutting a gasser 2wd van to swap in a 4bt/zf6 and convert to 4x4. having found this one setup like this, however (already turbodiesel w/ the gear vendor), i want to try to keep it in its current form for years of reliable use in the future.

with that said, it does need some work that i will start in the next week or soon thereafter. the head gaskets are leaky, and while the previous owner has done a decent job of maintenance, i dont really know much about the rest of the parts that are on the top end. so, i plan on tearing it all down and replacing injectors, glow plugs, port the heads/valve job, head studs, and possibly injection pump (if it will behoove me, powerwise, to do so).

my questions are as follows:

1) where's the best place to buy all these parts? i'd like to order everything from one spot, if possible, but i want o.e.m. quality or better. i dont want some junky/smoky injectors or glow plugs that will flake apart in 6 months.

2)what injectors/pump should i go with to make the most power reliably? i am very power oriented, yet i only want to do it once. and, it is a van. . .if i can replace the pump for ~500 for one that makes more power, i will do that no questions asked. if theyre 1000 bucks for one that will net me some hp, i will weigh the cost for the yield and make a decision accordingly.

3) the deadly cavitation issue. how worried should i be about this? the last thing i want to do is have my arms snaked in the engine bay of this van for days, trying to save the 6.9, just to have it fail in a year unrelated to all of the service that i performed. if its a risk, i'd rather just invest in a 4bt now and save myself the trouble. i'm a cummins man, however, i would like to keep the gem a gem. its a factory 6.9 van and i'd like to keep it that way, so long it can meet my power needs and do it reliably.

i want to get these parts ordered asap, thanks for the help.

 

Welcome to the forum. Lemme guess. You bought this van in Colorado?

I can't help you too much about the injector questions, but as for cavitation, i think the 6.9 doesn't have as big of a risk as the 7.3. I'd assume the PO would have run SCA's if he did all those mods (turbo, GV, custom 4x4, etc). But if he didn't, that's a little scary.

But like anything, you can't live your life scared about what might happen. If the engine is trashed due to cavitation, you might find out tomorrow or in 25 years. So I wouldn't worry until you need to.

 

What trubo does it have on it? You want a pryo before you start playing with fuel, If you want power read, project smogie thread or the IdIt performance build.

 

IMAG1229.jpg Photo by side2002 | Photobucket

 

Cool van. I thought you bought a different e350 turbo 4x4 van that has been on the forum for a few months.

 

Wow what a van!


Cavitation is more of a 7.3 problem do to the thinner cylinder walls, however any Diesel is at risk of it, some more than others. It is always a good idea to treat ANY diesel engine with SCA's in the coolant.


You can't reverse the damage of cavitation, but you can stop it completely by keeping up your additives, so say some damage was done, if you start treating it now, whatever damage there may be, will stop, and the engine can last forever as long as it's kepted up.

Check/add as needed every oil change with test strips. I get mine from an International dealer.



I did the head gaskets in my 85 Cargo van last year, I bought the complete "head set" from rockauto, they are good quality, can't remember the brand, but I didn't take the cheapest ones, took the middle grade.


Heres a write up I did on it,

https://www.ford-trucks.com/forums/1...l#post12369298

The pics don't work yet, they'll show up again in 5-6 days when my bandwidth thing resets on photobucket.



When you get into it, if you have any questions, you can ask both me and Joshofalltrades on here, both of us have been inside our engines in our vans.